South by Southwest (SXSW), an annual media festival in Austin, Texas, first started in 1987. Every year since, the event has grown to a larger scale, working as a film festival, music festival, interactive media conference and more. This 10-day event took place from March 7-15, bringing together thousands of attendees to celebrate media and the arts. This year’s festival brought over 100 films spanning from indie gems, major blockbuster films, short films and TV specials, many of which are premiering for the very first time. Here are some of the most exciting and disappointing films from this year’s SXSW festival.
“Ash”
Director Flying Lotus, best known for his career in the music industry, made his directorial debut with the new sci-fi horror film, “Ash.” Lotus first experimented with the horror genre in 2022 when he directed “Ozzy’s Dungeon,” one of the short film segments in the anthology series “V/H/S.”
“Ash” follows Riya, a scientist on a distant planet, who wakes up to find her fellow crewmates have all been killed. With supporting performances from Aaron Paul, Riya must uncover the mystery surrounding the space station.
This sci-fi horror film excels in its visual department, with some great use of lighting and CGI space imagery. The score for the film is also worth noting. Flying Lotus composed an atmospheric and eerie score to accompany the haunting images of outer space, enforcing the feeling of isolation the main characters experience at their space station.
While the visuals and music carry the film to the finish line, the story and characters are nothing new to the sci-fi horror genre. Unfortunately, the two lead performances are not strong enough to support the film’s writing. “Ash” is a serviceable B-movie that will likely leave audiences with nothing to think about once the film is over. It will be released in theaters on March 21.
“The Baltimorons”
“The Baltimorons” is the new film from indie filmmaker Jay Duplass. Duplass has not directed a feature film since 2012; this is an exciting return for fans of his work. Duplass first found success in 2005 when his independent film “The Puffy Chair” premiered at SXSW.
“The Baltimorons” is a funny but sad look at a failed comedian as he navigates life on Christmas Eve. The film stars Michael Strassner, who wrote the screenplay with Duplass. At the film’s premiere, Strassner explained this story was personal to him and largely based on his own experiences.
The film effectively explores various areas of Baltimore as the audience follows the characters through various awkward and uncomfortable situations. It is a film where the audience feels it knows the characters and their environment by the time everything is all said and done. “The Baltimorons” does not currently have distribution but is a slice-of-life comedy worth keeping an eye on.
“Death of a Unicorn”
A24’s latest horror-comedy romp had its debut at SXSW, opening as one of the major headliners of this year’s festival. The film stars Paul Rudd and Jenna Ortega as father and daughter who have found their relationship at a crossroads after the recent passing of an unnamed mother character.
The spectacle of the movie comes in the form of the monster unicorns, who go on a graphic rampage after a baby unicorn is killed. There have been many iterations of “eat-the-rich” films, a subgenre that caught popularity in the 2010s exploring discrepancy amongst class and economic inequality, but using unicorns as a vessel for this type of film is a unique take, no matter how silly it may seem.
“Death of a Unicorn” is a good popcorn movie. The performance from Will Poulter, a highlight of the film, reminds the audience that they should not be taking this movie too seriously. Moving past the violence, “Death of a Unicorn” has a charming message about parenting at its core. “Death of a Unicorn” will open in theaters on March 28.
“Friendship”
“Friendship” is a new A24 comedy film that first premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in 2024. The film stars Tim Robinson, Paul Rudd and Kate Mara. Going into the festival, “Friendship” was one of the few films with a lot of buzz around its name due to its success at TIFF last year.
The film follows a father in the suburbs who becomes obsessed with being friends with a weathercaster who lives in his neighborhood. At times, the film is painfully awkward and uses this to its advantage to create effective comedic moments. The style of humor might not work for everyone, but there is a good chance “Friendship” will become one of the decade’s defining cult comedies.
“Friendship” explores the struggles of making friends as people age. It is a subject matter that few other comedies have ever explored, at least not in such a personal and real way. Robinson is weird and quirky, just as he should be, and Rudd is cool, just as he should be. It is a film that knows how to use its actors and their comedic abilities. “Friendship” has an in-theater release scheduled for May 9.
“The Studio”
“The Studio” is a new Apple TV+ show from Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg that premiered its first two episodes on the opening night of the SXSW festival. The show follows a movie producer, played by Rogen, as he navigates the often complicated and messy world of Hollywood.
The TV show uses a “one-shot” style of filming, meaning that the camera never cuts. This style of filming lets the show create strong comedic moments while also elevating the tension in any given scene.
“The Studio” features several cameos from real world actors and directors like Paul Dano, Greta Lee and Martin Scorsese who all play as themselves in a very comedic fashion. “The Studio” is a fun and exciting homage to pop culture and Hollywood. Rogen and Goldberg’s latest comedic adventure will debut its first episode on March 26 on Apple TV+.
“Together”
“Together” first premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival and was purchased by Neon. The film follows a long-term couple that is going through a rough patch after moving to the countryside together. The film’s protagonists are played by Allison Brie and Dave Franco, who are married in real life. The couple is literally brought closer together after uncovering a supernatural force in a cave.
“Together” is one of the strongest horror films to come out of this year’s SXSW but will likely be one of the best body-horror films to release this year. The film does an effective job at balancing humor, drama and gross-out horror in a way that few other films have.
While “Together” has two great performances at its center and will be a good time for fans of the genre, the film is rather predictable. For fans of horror, there are some tropes in this film that have been played to death and will lead to an ending that seems obvious. Even with an obvious premise and end, it is the journey to that endpoint that makes this horror movie so unique and special. “Together” has a theatrical release scheduled for August 1.
“Uvalde Mom”
“Uvalde Mom” is a documentary about Angeli Rose Gomez, a single mother who saved her children during the Robb Elementary School shooting on May 24, 2022. The Robb Elementary shooting is the third worst school shooting in U.S. history, killing 22 and injuring another 18.
The documentary explores the history of the Texas city, the controversies surrounding Gomez and her relationship with law enforcement, as well as gun laws in Texas. The documentary moves fast and has a lot to say in a short amount of time.
“Uvalde Mom” is one of the most powerful documentaries to come out of this year’s SXSW festival. Debuting the film at Texas’s largest film festival shows a lot of merit on the filmmaker’s side. The documentary does not currently have distribution for a larger release but will be playing the festival circuit until it does.

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